Football Season Guide

Gateshead

In


Micky Cummins (r)(mid), Grimsby), Sam Rents (r)(def), Crawley), Eddie Odhiambo (r)(def), Newport County), Yemi Odubade (r)(att), Stevenage), Ewan Moyes (sp)(def)), Chris Carruthers (sp)(def), York), Kyle Nix (sp)(mid), Mansfield), Chris Moore (sp)(att), Darlington)

Out


Paul Heckingbottom (r)(def), Richard Offiong (sp)(att), Oakleigh Connors), Craig Nelthorpe (r)(mid), Gainsborough), Steven Baptist (midfielder, released), Carl Jones (sp)(def), Blyth Spartans), Andy Ferrell (sp)(mid), Barrow), Jonny Allan (sp)(att), Michael Liddle (r)(def), end of loan), Ashley Winn (sp)(mid), Farnborough)

Gateshead seem well placed ahead of their third consecutive season in the top flight of non-league football as Ian Bogie will be again looking to improve on last season's finish. The Heed had a mixed campaign last season and overall for a club of their standing, a comfortable mid-table finish should be lauded as a respectable achievement. However, the club is aiming high and at one point was even chasing a play-off spot but a sudden collapse of form in the last two months left a bad taste for the summer. Bogie's men could not win a game for the love of their lives and ended the season with a 7:1 home defeat at the hands of Newport County. It all prompted a sort of a clearout by the manager in order to bring more quality players but it is fair to say that the signings are not as impressive as it was expected. Yemi Odubade is a tricky player who can hurt defences at this level but nothing more than that while Kyle Nix and Micky Cummins are coming from average campaigns last season and will need to do a lot better to make a noticeable difference for Gateshead. The main strength is expected to be the defence where Ben Clark and Craig Jones form a formidable duo. Jon Shaw will be again leading the line and Bogie will hope that he has another prolific campaign, striking a good relationship with Martin Brittain who supplied him with countless assists last season. Overall, the squad level is not improved since last season and any expectation of a real push for a top place seems quite far-fetched for the Tyneside club.

Target


Gateshead should be able to finish in mid-table but a bad start of the season could potential drag them deeper into the mire.